


The Price of Magic

by WintermoonQueen



Category: Frozen (2013), Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: F/M, Sister-Sister Relationship
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-05-30
Updated: 2014-08-14
Packaged: 2018-01-27 14:07:04
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 12,610
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1713338
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WintermoonQueen/pseuds/WintermoonQueen
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It's three months after the eternal winter, and Elsa has officially taken the throne. However, her lingering anxiety hinders her ability to connect with others and her sister. She starts to wonder what her life would be like if she never had powers. As if hearing her unconscious plea, Rumplestiltskin appears unannounced, offering her a deal that could change her life forever. TEMPORARILY DISCONTINUED.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> **Warnings: This story contains dark themes such as depression, and anxiety. It may also contain violence, gore, and sexual content in the future**
> 
> Disclaimer: Frozen and all of its characters belong to Disney. Rumplestiltskin belongs to Once Upon a Time.

Blue eyes, deep like sapphires, flew open. Covered in sweat, she struggled to sit upright when she felt the overwhelming urge to retch. With shaking hands, Elsa grasped the edge of the bed and bent her head downward, squeezing her eyes shut as her body trembled.

After a moment, the feeling passed and she let out a deep, unsteady breath. Her heart was still pounding.

 _Calm_ , she told herself. A light sheen of frost coated the surface of her covers.  _It's not real!_

Her nostrils flared and she released short, heavy breaths as she tried to compose herself and regain control of her breathing. She ran a shaky hand through her messy, platinum blonde tresses and slowly unraveled the loose braid, allowing her lengthy hair to cascade over her shoulder.

The distraction allowed her to relax, and after what felt like hours, the queen was able to breathe again.

Damp with sweat, Elsa shifted in her bed and placed her bare feet on the cold floor.

She could attempt to lay back to rest, but she was afraid her nightmare would return. Elsa knew better than to try when all she would do is toss and turn until restless sleep claimed her. When it came to nightmares, it was never easy.

Ignoring the slight tremors her body gave as she walked, she slipped into the dim hallway. The moonlight peaked through the closed windows, casting long shadows of each doorway and ornament that she passed, and stretching them down the hall of the east wing.

Grasping the twin handles of the double doors, Elsa took in a deep breath when she felt the chill of her power tingle at her palms and swallowed the anxiety. The feeling faded, and she opened the doors, making her way onto the balcony in silence.

The faint chill of night air bit at her skin, but rather than shivering at its touch, Elsa welcomed it.

She perched her palms along the smooth surface of the railings of the balcony for a moment as her gaze scanned the kingdom below. Not a sound disturbed the peaceful sigh of an early autumn night.

Elsa was grateful that nothing seemed to wake Arendelle in the midst of the night.

Adjusting her pale cerulean night gown, the queen leaned forward and cradled her right cheek in her palm as the railing supported her elbow. Her left arm remained suspended in the air and her fingers uncurled, revealing the flat of her palm. With a single thought, she conjured a simple snowflake and watched as it fluttered downward, watching as a light breeze carried it off.

Her eyebrows knit downward in concentration as her lips thinned into a tight line. She could feel another rush of ice gather in her palms and she turned her hand downward. Then with an elegant swirl of her wrists, she fabricated a crystalized heart. Its transparent surface reflected the moonlight.

"It's beautiful, Elsa."

The queen spun on her heels, clearly surprised to find that she wasn't alone, but she relaxed the moment she noticed Anna slipping through the double doors with a tentative smile on her face.

Elsa glanced back down at her creation; it was small and simple, yet its edges were sharp and imperfect. It reflected a stunning myriad of dark blues and purples, fluctuating its colors as if to imitate the scarlet and golden-brown leaves of the trees surrounding the balcony whenever Elsa shifted the crystal-like architecture in her hands.

She wouldn't particularly call it beautiful, but its crystalized form managed to calm her nerves, no matter the current disdain for her powers she had.

"Thank you," she finally said, her throat felt dry.

Anna took to standing next to her, leaning against the balcony. Her hair was kept in two braids, a hairstyle Elsa figured that her younger sister felt to be the most comfortable.

"Can I have it? You know, the ice heart. It's really pretty, I mean you don't have to give it to me if you want it! You made it after all. . ."

Elsa frowned. Her fingers curled around the frozen heart when she was sourly reminded of her nightmare. How ironic. Without a word, she stretched her arm toward Anna and opened her hand, offering the jagged heart to her sister.

Anna smiled and took it. She lifted the heart above her head and allowed the moonlight to reflect off its surface. The way it reflected the many colors of the autumn night was astounding. Yet, Elsa couldn't find it in herself to even refer to such a creation as  _beautiful_.

"Elsa?"

She lifted her head in response, giving Anna her full attention.

Anna cradled the frozen heart close to her chest.

"Are you okay?" Anna asked, lowering her voice. Elsa could see how a frown marred her countenance, and she didn't miss how her sister's fingers tightened around the heart either.

The queen took in an unsteady breath, feeling uneasy. She had no idea where this conversation was going, and knowing Anna, it might not end well.

"I'm fine."

"Are you sure? I heard—"

"Nothing." Elsa forced herself to look away as she pulled her curled hands close to her chest.

"Elsa please, don't shut me out. You know you can tell me anything, so please. . ." Anna pleaded, trailing off, and Elsa could hear her sister's voice quiver.

She bit her bottom lip.

Hurting Anna was the last thing she wanted to do. Yet as she saw the disparity that contorted her younger sister's face, Elsa knew that she had done just that. Feeling guilt claw at her heart, she sighed.

"Oh Anna. . ." the queen whispered and gave a mild shake of her head, her cold grip on the balcony was so tight that her knuckles paled. Her jaw clenched and she swallowed, organizing her thoughts, but when she spoke again it was far from how she planned. "It was . . . it was just a nightmare."

She was met with silence. Not even the wind dared to whisper.

Elsa went rigid.

Anna shifted beside her, and the queen could feel the warmth of her sister's hand caress her arm.

"What was it about?" Anna asked, her voice low and gentle.

Elsa lifted her hand and cradled her forehead with the tips of her fingers in an attempt to soothe the oncoming headache. Her lips began to quiver when she parted them to speak.

"When I froze your heart."

She felt Anna's grip tighten.

"Oh, Elsa . . . you—you didn't mean it. It was my fault, I pushed you. You're my sister, I know you would never hurt me."

"But I did!" she cried out, moving to pull away from her younger sister, but Anna refused to let Elsa distance herself.

"It was an accident! You were  _scared_!"

"That doesn't give me an excuse, Anna. That doesn't mean that I'm not a—"  _Monster_ , she finished inwardly, drawing her arms around herself, trembling.

"Don't you  _dare_ , Elsa!" Anna hissed. She took her chance and moved forward, prying Elsa's hands from her stomach and pulled her into a tight embrace. The princess's arms wrapped around her sister's back as she buried her face into the queen's shoulders. There was no mistaking the warm wetness that stained through her nightgown. "God, you're my sister. You're not a—you'll  _never_  be a. . ." Anna trailed off with a small hiccup.

Elsa stared ahead, unmoving as her sister shook with tears. After a moment's hesitation, she sighed and wrapped her arms around Anna, returning the tight embrace when she felt that her throat grew tight and her eyes became blurry with unshed tears.

"I'm sorry," she murmured, burying her face into the crook of Anna's neck. "I didn't mean to upset you."

Anna gave another hiccup. Shaking her head, she pulled away and looked up at Elsa with an attempted, watery smile. She sniffed and fruitlessly wiped at the tears that continued to stream down her face.

Elsa frowned, clenching her hands. Why was she always the reason for Anna's tears? What kind of person was she, making her little sister cry? Between the two of them, Anna was always the one to break down, giving in to her raw emotions a lot easier than her older sister. She was like an open book. Elsa, on the other hand, always managed to put up a guise. Her years of isolation had allowed her to master the idea of concealing her emotions rather than wearing them on her sleeve; but that didn't mean she was hurting any less than Anna.

The princess sucked in a breath and wiped away the last of her tears, drying her face before giving an inaudible, shaky sigh.

"You're my sister," she whispered again, turning to meet Elsa's eyes as she held her quivering bottom lip between her teeth. "I love you, and nothing will change that."

Warmth welled up inside Elsa's chest, and she felt as though she would burst before it settled in her stomach and faded. Her jaw trembled and her brows knit downward as she reached over to take Anna's hands in her own; her cold fingers caressed her sister's warm palms.

Finally, for the first time since her nightmare, a genuine smile crossed her ivory features. There was nothing more comforting than knowing that her sister would always be there when she needed her.

"I love you too, Anna."

Anna returned the smile with a sincere upturn of her lips before she drew closer to envelop Elsa into another hug.

"Promise me you'll come find me the next time you have a nightmare?" she asked, closing her eyes.

Elsa drew in a breath then pulled away, placing her hands on Anna's shoulders as she looked her sister in the eye.

"I promise."

Elsa watched as the tension fell from Anna's shoulders and her light blue eyes lit up when a sly smile spread along her freckled cheeks.

"Good, because I'm good at chasing those nasty nightmares away!" she declared, pumping up her fist in a threatening, yet comical manner.

Elsa gave a slight chuckle followed by a roll of her eyes and a shake of her head.

"I'm sure they're  _shuddering_  in their boots."

Both sisters shared a light laugh.

A genuine smile adorned Elsa's visage and she withdrew her hands from Anna's shoulders, reaching down to take hold of the frozen heart in her younger sister's hands.

"Keep it," Elsa told her, curling her hands over Anna's fingers.

Anna's blue eyes stared down at the crystalized ice between their palms for a moment before breaking away from the chill of Elsa's skin.

"Thank you."

With an affectionate smile, Elsa leaned forward and brushed a piece of ginger hair out of Anna's face, tucking it behind her ear.

"We should try and go back to sleep."

* * *

 

The next morning, Anna burst into her study and demanded the queen to take a break from her duties and accompany her on a relaxing stroll in town with her. Usually, Elsa would have no qualms with such a demand—in fact, she would love to comply and forget about all of her unsigned papers, agreements and unwritten letters. Though, she had to be thankful that for once she had a break from scheduled meetings with foreign dignitaries.

"Anna," she groaned, placing down her quill as she turned in her chair to give her sister a sharp look when Anna became more insistent and took to trying to pull her arm out of its socket. "Maybe some other time, I really have a lot of work to get done and these papers won't sign themselves."

" _Puhh-leaaaase_ , Elsa? We haven't hung out in forever!"

Elsa crossed her arms and raised a brow, knowing full well what "forever" meant to younger sister.

"I just took you and Olaf ice-skating  _yesterday_."

"That doesn't count!"

"Wha—of course it does!"

Anna puffed out her cheeks and blew a raspberry.

"That wasn't  _quality_  sister time!"

 _Really, Anna?_   _Really?!_

Elsa fought the urge to rub her temples with irritation. Instead, she pressed her lips into a thin, prim line. She wouldn't let Anna get her way this time, there was just too much to get done.

"Then please enlighten me,  _what_  is quality sister time?" she inquired, failing to keep her annoyance from showing.

Anna grasped her arm once again and tried to pull Elsa out of the chair.

"It's when we stroll into town and play with the little children and go into shops and try on dresses and—"

Elsa blinked once, then twice. She hardly registered when Anna had managed to drag her out of her chair and began to shove her toward the doors of her study.

"Anna!"

"No, Elsa! You've been working your butt off all day! We're going for a walk!"

Elsa let out a dramatic sigh before she finally gave in, allowing her sister to drag her out of the castle.

It took her a few moments to notice that they passed way too many shops to just be spending time to try on new dresses, but she was silent. Anna weaved them through the streets and waved at a few people along the way, causing Elsa to raise a brow. But seeing the wide smile that spread across her sister's face made her expression to soften. The beginnings of her own smile attempted to match Anna's contagious one when they took another turn.

 _That's right, she spends more time in town than I do,_ she realized. _The people must be well acquainted with her_.

A heat of jealousy stirred in the pit of her stomach and she looked down at their joined hands. Between the two of them, Anna was more approachable and Elsa could only  _wish_  that she appeared just as open-hearted as her sister.

"Anna, where are we going?"

At the query, her sister's grip tightened on her arm, causing Elsa to raise a curious brow. Anna looked back at her with a tiny grin.

"My friend wants to meet you!"

"Friend? He doesn't happen to be a reindeer, does he?"

Anna rolled her eyes at her and shook her head.

"No, silly. He's a little boy, he talks highly of you! Well . . ." Anna seemed to pause, slowing in her steps. Elsa noticed her sister purse her lips in thought. "Actually, I think he might have a small crush on you, it's kind of cute. Anyway, his pig always gets loose, so one day when I was strolling through town his pig kind of got tangled in my skirts. He found us wrestling on the ground—well I wasn't really wrestling with his pig, it was more like I was trying to untangle him. He thinks I caught his pig for him. After that, whenever I go into town I visit him!"

Elsa's gaze softened as her sister babbled. Of course, leave it to Anna to make strange friends.

"Our favorite game is hide and seek, preferably without his pig because you know his pig is the best at it and we can never find him. I was—I was thinking we could build a snowman with him today, you know? He's kind of lonely because his parents are always busy in the shop and—"

Elsa gave a small laugh, at the sight of Anna's flustered face, causing the princess to shoot her a confused look. It was rare to see her younger sister so embarrassed.

"Anna," Elsa started, placing a hand over her sister's, "I'd love to meet him."

Anna beamed and she bounced on her feet, leaning forward to grab both of the queen's arms and drag her around another corner.

"Oh! Here we are! Anders, over here!"

They heard sniffling followed by a hiccup as a small child rounded the corner. His eyes wide and watery. Elsa frowned.

"Hey," Anna's voice grew soft and she released Elsa's arm to make her way over to him, leaning down to his level. "What's wrong, Anders?"

Anders gave another sniffle and gave a vigorous rub at his eyes.

"M-My pig, he's—he's gone!"

Elsa watched as Anna's face fell before a determined expression replaced her frown.

"We'll get him back, don't you worry Anders! I brought my sister this time!"

Elsa's eyes widened and she raised a hand, ready to protest, but she shut her mouth when her eyes met the child's distressed gaze. A tiny, hopeful smile graced his features.

"Q-Queen Elsa? Y-You'll help me get my pig back?"

She was taken aback for a moment, then sighed when she realized that she couldn't say no.

"Of course. No pig will get very far with me around."

A shy, toothy smile stopped the boy's tears as a tiny blush burned at his cheeks.

Anna quirked a smile at her, then turned back to Anders.

"Which way did your pig go?" The princess asked.

Just as Anders raised a finger to pin-point the direction of the pig, a loud snort followed by the oinking of what Elsa perceived to be a pig, bounced off the walls of the alleyway.

"Pig!" Anna yelled, pumping a fist in triumph as she raced after the animal.

"Anna, no wait!" The queen raised a hand, but her cry was unheard as the princess disappeared behind the corner with Anders hot on her trail.

She let out a loose curse under her breath and lifted the side of her dress as she gave chase.

"Anna! Anders!"

 _This is not how we catch a pig!_ Not that she knew exactly  _how_  to catch a pig, but she had a few ideas that wouldn't involve chasing it around town and causing havoc.

Elsa felt frost gather at the tips of her fingers at the thought of conjuring something useful. Something that would halt all three of them in their tracks.

A loud crash reverberated off the brick walls of the buildings around her, causing the queen to grit her teeth. She could only imagine the kind of trouble Anna was getting herself into and was now regretting even allowing her sister to drag her along. She should have stayed in her study after all.

With a flick of her wrist, she watched as fragments of ice gathered beneath her and spread through the cobblestone streets of the town, promptly catching up with Anders and Anna. Anna gave a surprised squeal and both of them began to stumble and slide on their feet. Anders bowled into Anna, forcing the young princess to lose her complete footing and fall flat on her back with a loud gasp.

Elsa slowed to a stop and placed a hand on her hips, trying to catch her breath. A tiny squeal caught their attention.

"My pig!"

The small beast slid, its movements became desperate in its attempt to find friction on the ice as it spun toward the fjord.

Anders cried out for the pig and leaped to his feet, taking off.

Elsa's heart skipped a beat when Anna sent her an alarmed look.

"Elsa he—he can't swim!"

" _What?_ "

"Anders, he can't swim! If he falls in the fjord he'll—" Anna cut herself off and gave a terrified look, bringing a hand to her mouth before she began to charge forward.

" _Anders!_ "

"Anna wait!"

Elsa sped after them, her heart pounding in her ears. For a terrifying moment, she realized that she was never going to catch up to them in time.

Desperate, the queen thrust out an arm, her fingers spreading apart as a blue flare of her ice magic escaped her hand.

Her heart stopped when she slipped on the ice beneath her and the direction of her magic missed its mark—shooting straight into the boy's arm instead.

A loud shriek echoed, drawing the attention of the crowd at the boy's pain-filled cry.

 _No._   _Not again!_

Elsa pushed herself onto her feet to find Anna cradling the little boy's arm, soothing him.

Tears streamed down his face as his terror-stricken gaze met her own. Elsa gave a thick swallow.

She felt sick.

She stared down at her palms. Her cursed hands trembled.

All oxygen left her lungs.

"Elsa?"

Her head snapped upward to notice that Anna had moved to stand.

The crowd drew closer. She could see the animosity in their eyes.

 _Monster_.

"N-No." Elsa drew back, cradling her hands close to her chest.

Anna raised her hands and carefully approached her, as if she were afraid Elsa would break.

"Elsa, wait a second. It's okay, he's fine!"

The queen squeezed her eyes shut and fled.

* * *

In quick haste, she slammed the door shut behind her and leaned her forehead against its polished surface.

Ice quickly spread upward from the tips of her fingers, crawling and weaving through the tiniest cracks and over the bumps of the door. Breaking off into multiple paths along the shadows of her pastel blue walls, the ice curved and protruded into sharp, angry spikes. A tiny wail of despair ripped past her lips when she backed away from the door, pulling her closed fists to her chest.

"N-No. I can control it."

"Or  _can_  you, dearie?"

Elsa whirled on her feet, stiffening at the sound of a peculiar, unfamiliar voice. Her heart hammered in her chest and her hands began to shake.  _Keep it together!_

A playful laugh drowned out the sound of ice cracking and her eyes darted to a chair seated close to her bed where a goblin-like man sat.

His skinny, gold-like fingers tapped together as he tilted his head when a large grin spread across his odd features. Then, he lifted a finger and followed a new path the frost had taken as it crawled down the corners of the walls and froze the wooden floors, toward him.

"It's getting quite cold in here~!" he commented with a twitch of his lips.

Elsa remained shell-shocked, her arms limp at her sides before she drew them upward to hug her chest. She took a wary step backward.

"Who are you?" she demanded cautiously.

The man's sharp gold eyes traveled from the dispersing ice and settled upon her slumped form as he moved to stand. With slow, calculated steps, he shifted toward her carefully then lowered the upper half of his body into a deep, mocking bow. His left hand tucked behind his back as his right wrist rolled upward, revealing the flat of his rough, golden palm, when his named rolled off his tongue.

"Rumplestiltskin, at your service~!"

Growing anxious, Elsa gnawed her bottom lip raw.

"How did you get past my guards?"

Rumplestiltskin let out a high chuckle, straightening himself as he lifted an arm and waggled a finger at her. His tongue clicked when he allowed a side-grin to curl at his lips.

"You see dearie, magic is a wonderful thing!"

She gave a thick swallow, not trusting herself to speak.

He gave a high-pitched chuckle, seemingly amused at her wariness.

"I can just appear at a simple utter of my name!"

"But I didn't—"

Rumplestiltskin cut her off, waving a finger as he circled her, like a predator would its prey.

"Sometimes you don't have to, I merely came of my own accord~" he seemed to sing with a click of his tongue followed by a short snigger.

Elsa frowned, wringing her hands, her wide eyes followed his every movement.

" _Why?_ " she whispered, and though she tried to keep the tremor from her voice, she could feel a slight quiver strangle her throat.

"I simply sensed your distress dearie. You may not have said my name, but I heard you calling," he explained. A playful smirk grew plastered on his face as he walked toward her.

Elsa held her ground, it was as if her feet were frozen. In the back of her mind she willed herself to move, but weakness was the last thing she wanted to show. Instead, her wide blue eyes locked with his.

She could feel a shiver race up her spine with unease as his amber gaze flickered with amusement. It was as though he were laughing at her pain.

"I can help you, dearie."

She felt her breath leave her lungs.

"You—you can?"

He gave a snicker, then halted behind her.

Elsa fought the urge to flinch when his thin, bony hands brushed against her bare shoulders. She could imagine a grin play across his sharp countenance.

"Why of course!"

Her curiosity got the best of her, and she found that she couldn't keep the question from falling from her lips.

"You can take away my powers? How?"

"I never said anything about taking away your powers, dearie."

Elsa took a hesitant step forward.

"But can you?"

Rumplestiltskin was silent. He turned his back to her, running his hands along the arms of a chair. Sunlight streamed between the open curtains of the windows, illuminating his single form as he moved to sit.

He was stalling, that much she could tell in the way that he moved, careful and languid. He laid back into the chair, taking his time to get comfortable on the cushioned seat. He then lifted an arm, glancing at her with a golden eye, and flicked a few pieces of his dark auburn, curly hair out of his face.

"Let me get this straight," he started, tilting his chin as he watched her from across the room. A twitching smile played across his features, continuing the unnerve her. He pointed a dainty finger at her, drawing an imaginary circle in the air as he spoke. "You want  _me_  to take away  _your_  magic?"

Elsa bit her lip and stared down at her open palms.

"Yes."

Rumplestiltskin leaned forward and rested an elbow on his knee in a crooked manner. He seemed to squint at her.

"Are you sure about that, dearie? Remember, what is done cannot be undone~"

Her shoulders tensed and she seemed to hold her breath. Her eyebrows creased when she clenched her fingers into her hands, causing her knuckles to pale. She could feel her nails dig into the softness of her palms, imprinting small, red crescent-shaped marks on her alabaster skin.

These powers—no, this  _curse_ —was a part of her. For thirteen years she's struggled with keeping them under control. Not just for the safety of her kingdom, but more importantly, for Anna's safety.

At night, when nightmares plagued her mind, her sister would reassure Elsa that she was alive and well. That her powers were a gift rather than a curse. But it was times like these where Elsa begged to differ.

These powers—this  _curse_ controlled her life. On certain days it depicted what she would wear, how she would act and move. Sometimes the queen even found herself longing for the softness of her gloves that would encage her fingers and imprison her powers. God forbid she accidentally froze another innocent being.

She wanted to be normal; to be truly  _free_.

She wanted to rid herself of the bitter weight on her shoulders.

She wanted to rid herself of the night terrors that were merciless in their attack with images of Anna clutching at her heart, her cheeks marked with frozen tears streaking down her face; Anna  _pleading_  for her.

" _E-Elsa, please . . . i-it's so cold."_

With shaking hands, she pressed them against the sides of her face and squeezed her eyes shut as if it would block the image of Anna's fear-stricken face from her mind.

"Yes," she whispered. "Yes,  _please_!"

Anything, anything to take away the pain.

Anything to just be free of this curse.

"So, ya want to make a deal then dearie?"

Elsa gave a languid lift of her head, her breath catching in her throat when she realized that his face was merely inches away from her own. Was she so caught up in her own turmoil that she hadn't noticed him move?

 _How could I allow myself to appear so weak in front of him of all people?_ She chided herself and pressed her chapped lips together.

The queen then pulled her elbows in and clasped her hands together, straightening her back as she steeled herself.

"A deal?" she inquired with the slight raise of a brow.

Rumplestiltskin nearly bounced on his feet. He fiddled with his fingers in an excited manner when he gave a high pitched laugh that sent chills down her spine. He waved a finger at her and leaned in close. So close that his nose nearly brushed against her own.

Elsa fought the urge to draw back in disgust and distance herself, but she was afraid she would appear startled if she did so.

"Why of course~ you think I'd do you a favor without anything in return?"

Elsa tilted her chin higher. Her eyes flashed for a moment when she reconsidered his offer.

The sound of ice, cracking like glass filled her ears once again, and she was all but reminded of the fear and guilt that weighed on her conscience. It was then that she made up her mind.

"What do you want?"

Rumplestiltskin withdrew from her by taking a step back. With a fluid wave of his hand, he conjured a small bottle. Its deep blue contents swirled against the transparent glass that contained the fluid. He gave her a smirk and held the clear bottle by its cork with two fingers.

Her fingers clenched at her sides. He was taunting her.

"Oh let's just say," he paused and leaned toward her. She didn't dare move when she felt his warm breath on her ear as he whispered, "I'm invested in your future."

He pulled away with an amused snigger.

"Do we have a deal~?"

Her stern gaze flickered from his knowing smirk down to the small potion within his hands.

Elsa reached forward, uncertain as she grasped the bottle between her fingers. With a clenched jaw, she gazed at him warily.

"You're certain that this potion will work?"

His smirk tilted into a side grin. He was really testing her patience.

Rumplestiltskin then uncurled his fingers from the glass bottle, allowing her to take it.

"Why of course~"

She regarded him for a moment, cradling the warm, delicate bottle between her palms. If he was lying, she couldn't tell, for that same grin was plastered to his face as his fingers seemed to flutter in the air.

Turning her back to him, the queen stared down at the potion in her hands. She felt a strange stir in her stomach as the ominous azure liquid seemed to glow, reacting to her touch.

"I hope you find yourself satisfied _, Your Majesty_. Remember, all magic comes with a price~"

When she gave an abrupt turn, Rumplestiltskin was gone.

She felt all tension leave her body, and the frost that spread along her room came to a halt.

Her shoulders ached and her head pounded with exhaustion. Elsa could taste the bitter dryness of her mouth.

_What now?_

Her eyes trailed to her make-shift bed, and for a moment she considered retiring for the rest of the day. Everything had been, after all,  _very trying_.

She thought of Anders, the little boy she had attempted to help. The image of him clutching his cold, frost-bitten arm and his wide eyes, shimmering with unshed tears and  _something else_  as he stared up at her.

Fear. Terror.

 _Monster_.

Elsa's eyes darted to the long mirror perched on the wall opposite of her. Her reflection stared back at her with narrowed, glowing eyes. Her dark hair arched upward as a red smirk painted her lips, taunting her.

Elsa averted her gaze, trembling.

 _No_.

She clutched at the bottle.

Her fingers fumbled to twist at the cork.

 _You're a coward_.

Her breath grew uneven and her movements became rushed.

 _No one loves a coward_.

A wail spilled from her lips and she gave a vigorous shake of her head.

 _That little boy is afraid of you_.

 _You became the monster he feared you were_.

"Stop," she whispered. Her hands shook, rattling the tightly-closed bottle in her grip. "Just leave me alone, I'm not a—"

"Elsa?"

The door knob rattled. Then a knock resounded, chasing away the demons that plagued the queen's mind.

Her stomach dropped and her eyes flickered to the knob as realization washed over her like a cold, unforgiving wave—she never locked the door.

Turning on her heels, Elsa stumbled to her nightstand. In a hasty movement, she opened a tiny drawer and shoved the potion as far into the back as possible.

The queen had just managed to turn around in time and fold her hands in front of her dress, poised and regal, as Anna shoved her way into Elsa's room.

Small fragments of ice chipped away from the door and shattered upon contact with the ground. Unperturbed, Anna carefully stepped over the ice. Elsa could hear faint crunching sounds, almost like snapping twigs as it echoed throughout the room as her sister made her way over.

"Elsa?" Her sister tried again, her arms reached out hesitantly before her hands settled upon the queen's arm. "Are you . . . are you okay?"

Elsa could feel her throat grow tight. She regarded her little sister, observing how her eyebrow knit downward, how she bit her lip, and how her eyes watered.

This caused Elsa to lower her gaze. She knew full well that she was the cause of her sister's pain.

 _Again_.

She felt a wave of nausea raise bile in her throat and resisted the urge to hug her stomach.

"I'm fine," she replied softly, then risked a glance at Anna and attempted a ghost of a smile. "Really."

"I don't believe you." Anna took Elsa's hands. "Elsa,  _look at me_."

She squeezed her eyes shut and her shoulders slumped. Hearing the quiver in her sister's tone, Elsa released a breath through her nose and stared into Anna's worried eyes. She placed a hand over her sister's, comforting her.

"I'm fine, Anna. Everything is fine. It was . . . it was . . ." Elsa trailed off and bit her lip, her gaze fell from Anna's eyes.

"An accident," Anna finished. Her bright blue-hazel eyes shone with determination and Elsa admired her sister's courageous attitude and optimism.

If only she could be that brave and carefree.

"You don't need to worry, Kristoff took Anders to Pabbie, and he's fine and well now. A few frozen fingers won't kill him."

Though the information calmed her nerves, Elsa knew that she had frightened the boy immensely. She wouldn't be surprised if her people cowered away from her whenever she made a public appearance.

 _It was bound to happen_ , she thought gravely.

As if sensing her distress, Anna took her by the arms and pulled her toward the door.

"Come on, I can have Gerda stir up some hot cocoa!"

Though she felt light on her feet with how Anna began to rush her through the open door, her heart was heavy.

The glass bottle was left behind, but not forgotten.


	2. Chapter 2

“Your Majesty, would you like some wine?”

 Elsa jerked her head upward, suddenly remembering that she was in the middle of a meeting and she had quite nearly dozed off.

_His_ words rung in her ears, and she wanted nothing more than to rid herself of the fears that plagued her mind. Her thoughts had drifted back to the vial that lay hidden in her drawer—in one gulp, could it really take her powers?

Elsa forced such thoughts away and turned her attention to the servant on her right who held a delicate bottle of red wine.

“Yes, yes some wine would be fine.” _God knows I need it_. She grasped the delicate glass and raised it so the servant could pour her drink. Giving a short, grateful nod, she took a sip.

Her weary eyes scanned the room, and she noticed with unease that every one of her advisors were staring as if they were awaiting for some sort of answer or a sign of acknowledgement. She found herself not able to recall what had been discussed within the past two minutes, so when she placed her wine glass back on the table, she corrected her posture and moved to sit straighter.

“Now, where were we?” she inquired, folding her hands in her lap.

They seemed to dismiss her previous stall and continued the discussion.

“The kingdom of Weselton wishes to ask for forgiveness and reopen trade, Majesty.”

“Forgiveness?” she echoed, alarmed with the astonishing news. It had, after all, only been a few months since the Great Thaw and her decision to cut off all ties with Weselton. The duke had been vocal about his disdain for her and her powers to the point where Elsa felt that there was no need to deal with his childish accusations any longer. She was the Queen of Arendelle, not a fool who would stand to entertain disrespectful, greedy foreigners. The duke had left unwillingly and she hadn’t heard from Weselton since. That being said, Elsa found it suspicious that the duke would be willing to come to a mutual understanding between their kingdoms in such a short time.

“Yes Majesty, it seems the duke is willing to put the past behind him and make amends with you,” her personal advisor confirmed. She watched as he absently shuffled through the documents in his hands as he straightened himself in his seat, which had been properly set next to her own near the head of the table.

Elsa resisted the urge to quirk a brow as he folded his hands on the table, meeting her gaze with his bright hazel eyes.

“Is that so, Jorn?”

The man ran a hand, for what seemed like the tenth time within one hour, through his carefully combed light brown locks, before he gave a nod. He then lifted a hand to his mouth when he gave a light cough, as if he were clearing his throat.

“Yes, it is. What do you suggest, your Majesty?”

Elsa trailed her eyes down toward the glass in her hand and watched the red liquid ripple as a light breeze blew in from a window that had been left ajar. Its rich color reminded her of the blood that had almost spilled all those months ago, when no one believed her to be a benevolent ruler upon the realization that she possessed control over ice and snow. Blood that could have very well been Anna’s when she had thrown herself in front of the blade meant for the newly-crowned queen.

Squaring her shoulders, she came to a decision and lifted her chin in a regal manner, a movement she had observed and been taught all her life up until the day she would take the throne. Her eyes watched every man in the room as they inclined their heads forward, interested in her answer.

“I don’t see a need in opening relations with Weselton at this time. There are plenty of other neighboring countries that Arendelle can benefit from.”

“Your Majesty, if I may be so bold,” Jorn started, his hands folded atop the table once more as he met her gaze. “I believe it would benefit Arendelle, not in a trading aspect, but it would be wise to entertain Weselton in the idea that you are willing to mend the relationship between our kingdoms.”

Elsa tightened her hold on her wine glass and a few spirals of ice trailed up and circled the rim. Her lips spread into a thin line across her lips as she fought to keep her regal composure in place.

“I understand that you hold personal slights against the Duke, and he was in the wrong for insulting you, but such a grudge should not hold Arendelle back from a partnership in trade,” he continued, his eyebrows furrowed as he gave a small tilt of his head toward her and the queen sighed in response.

It wasn’t that she didn’t want to forgive the Duke of Weselton or re-open trade, but she just found it odd that such a request would be given so soon after such an incident. There were many delegates in this world that a ruler shouldn’t trust, and she was conscious of the kind of men that dwelled in the shadows. She felt it wise to sit back and observe before coming to any such decisions. Politics was indeed a tightrope when it came to bargaining.

Elsa leaned back in her chair and took another sip of her wine, only to find that in her distress she had frozen the liquid solid. Deciding that she didn’t need another glass of alcohol anyway, she gingerly set it back down and motioned with a wave of her hand for a servant to take it back to the kitchens.

She drummed her fingers on the polished armrest of her chair in thought, mindful of her advisor’s eyes burning into her from her right. Elsa couldn’t deny that Jorn had a point. It had only been a few months since she had officially taken the throne, and she was still learning when it came to running her kingdom. Jorn, on the other hand, had advised her father in his last few years as King before the storm had taken her parents from her; and within those last three years before she came of age, he had unofficially taken care of Arendelle while she finished her studies and occasionally joined him in meetings that concerned her final approval. He had been nothing but wise and trustworthy, and Elsa was grateful to him.

However, this was a decision that shouldn’t be made lightly. While Jorn was a wise man, it didn’t mean that she had to take his every word. He was there to advise and overlook the decisions she made when it came to Arendelle, but that did not mean he had authority over her verdict.

Weselton was not a country she wanted to bargain with, no matter how apologetic the Duke was for his actions at her coronation.

Finally, she folded her hands in her lap and looked around the room. The silence was heavy, and she was well aware of every gaze set upon her as she came to a decision.

“My previous decision stands firm, gentlemen.”She fixed Jorn with a stern stare when he looked about to protest, and she could feel the chill of her powers seep from underneath her palms. “This is my decision and I will not stand for it to be brought up again. My main concerns lay within Arendelle and this kingdom has a fair amount of trade partners, I assure you that Weselton is no loss.”

Beside her, Jorn gave a deep frown and she noticed the distinct line of his jaw more profoundly when he pressed his lips into a thin line. Turning her eyes from her advisor, the other men in the room began to talk amongst themselves when Elsa moved to stand. Her blue eyes swept the room, commanding their attention. When the live conversation fell into a hushed silence, Elsa folded her hands in front of herself and gave a slight nod of her head. She mentally felt herself relax the moment she adjourned the meeting and left the room.

Though she had her private quarters in mind, her feet had subconsciously led her to the wide double doors of the library. Just the thought of the billions of books that lined the walls and shelves of the room caused a semblance of a smile to cross her lips as she lifted a hand to turn the brass handle of the door.

Once inside, she heard the soft creak of the library door closing shut behind her, but paid no mind as Elsa basked in the silence that accompanied the calming sight of books. Besides the peaceful atmosphere she found in her chambers, it had only been shortly after the Great Thaw that the queen found her place in the library. She had always cherished every word in each book she indulged herself in, whether it was politics, mythology, or poems, she found that with each page she turned, a piece of her was sated yet yearning for more.

Unlike her younger sister, Elsa always took her education seriously. While Anna preferred skipping out on her tutoring lessons in favor of rolling in the grass—despite how she particularly remembered Gerda warning her younger sister some years ago that grass stains were hard to remove—Elsa would be flipping page after page of her geometry book, taking interest in learning the physics of each shape and its angles.

Poetry was another guilty pleasure of hers; though she kept it to herself, not even Anna knew of the small notebook hidden safely within the confinements of the queen’s quarters. It was only known to few that the queen enjoyed reading the clever play of words that only poetry could offer. It put her own wit to the test as she would sip a cup of tea every morning and attempt to read between the lines of each stanza.

With this in mind, Elsa trailed a fingertip down the spine of one of the older, worn books as she seemed to glide around the bookcase to enter into what seemed like another realm of worded pages. As much as she would love to sit down and relax as she lost herself to poetry, she had other things to tend to.

As she moved down the aisle, her blue eyes scanned each shelf with purpose until one book snagged her attention. Its wide, purple spine contrasted against the line of brown and green history books surrounding it, but what had caught Elsa’s eye was the unmistakable runes engraved down its side. She had laid eyes on it only once before, thirteen years ago, on a night that she would never forget no matter how hard she’d tried. Her powers had slipped out of her control, and in consequence her sister laid before her, cold and motionless. Her mother had cried out in desperation as she clutched little Anna in her arms, and Elsa remembered her father rummaging through the library in this exact spot, searching for the book that she now held in her hands.

Time seemed to stop, and Elsa swore she could hear her heart pounding in her ears as her index finger curled around the edge of the book. Every mystery, every enigma was hidden in this book. It made her dizzy upon such knowledge and for a moment, she dared to wonder if the answer to the origins of her powers were marked inside this book. However, her curiosity was crushed when she realized that even if such answers were within its pages, she wouldn’t be able to read the ancient language it was written in.

“Elsa! There you—oh, what are you reading?”

Elsa resisted the urge to groan when her sister’s excited voice broke the silence like an alarm bell. She really had to make sure to lock the library doors the next time she wandered in here for the sole purpose of settling into a blissful, quiet atmosphere.

When Anna moved closer down the aisle, Elsa placed the book back on the shelf in the exact place she had found it.

“Nothing just,” she paused and ran a hand through her hair, pushing her bangs back and out of her face when she noticed that they had fallen out of place without her knowing, “looking for some new poetry to read.”

“Poetry?” Anna stuck out her tongue and made a face that could be described as disgust before a wide grin spread along her face. “Seriously, sis I don’t know how you see poetry as appealing. I mean roses are red, violets are blue . . . are you _really_ into that mushy stuff?”

The queen rolled her eyes.

“Not _all_ roses are red, and certainly not _all_ violets are blue, dear sister.”

Anna waved her off, whether she was accepting the truth of Elsa’s words or not, the queen hadn’t a clue.

“Yeah yeah, you’re so technical, Elsa.” Anna leaned forward and squinted her eyes as she scanned the bookshelf. Elsa watched as her sister’s lips pursed forward when she absently tapped her chin.

The queen resisted the urge to roll her eyes at her sister’s behavior and released a light cough to snag her attention.

Anna, with an arm behind her back and the top half of her body leaning forward, abruptly shot herself upward into a straightened stance. Her right hand jerked upward in a mock salute as a teasing smile spread along her lips in response.

“Yes, your majesty?”

Elsa quirked an amused brow. Then, deciding to humor her, the queen tilted her chin high and folded her hands in front of her skirts. She fought to keep the grin off her face when she addressed her sister.

“I assume you have something to report to me?”

Anna’s lips formed the perfect ‘o’ before she gave a light bow, her twin braids falling forward off her shoulders as she did so.

“Y-Yes,” she hesitated, then added, “your Grace.” The princess then straightened her posture and held her arms at her sides. Elsa noticed how her sister seemed to be holding her breath as she puffed out her chest.

Then, she just couldn’t hold it anymore. A loud burst of laughter spilled out from her lips, causing her to hunch over in a posture so unbecoming of a queen that she would be embarrassed if she had company other than her sister. She sucked in a breath and forced herself to stifle another bubble of laughter behind her palm which now covered her lips.

Elsa shook her head and bit her bottom lip to keep from smiling wide as she lifted her hand.

“A-At ease.”

Anna exhaled with a tiny laugh, her lips donning a light shade of purple from the lack of oxygen.

“Alright, Anna what did you want?” Elsa asked, her curiosity getting the best of her.

“I wanted to talk about the Autumn Festival coming up next weekend.”

Elsa tilted her head.

“What about it?” she inquired with raised eyebrows.

The queen grew suspicious when she recognized her sister’s hesitance in the way she grasped her hands and shifted on her feet.

“Weeell,” Anna started, “you see, me and Kristoff were thinking—”

“Kristoff and I,” Elsa corrected, earning a quick glare from her sister before she went on.

“ _Kristoff and I_ were thinking about giving some kids a sleigh ride around town. And I thought, you know, I should ask you before I do something you don’t like which will then lead into me getting in trouble, and you know how I hate it when you give me _those eyes_ and—“

“Of course.”

“Wait Elsa you have to hear me out—wait, what?”

Elsa gave a soft smile when her sister began to stutter in shock.

“I said, yes. You and Kristoff can give the kids a sleigh ride around town.”

“Y-You’re not going to give me a reason not to? Like how I might cause havoc in town?”

Elsa frowned, and blinked.

“No,” she said. “Why would I? I trust you, and I’m sure the kids at the festival would enjoy a sleigh ride.”

Anna’s shoulders hunched upward and she brought her hands to her face, cupping her own cheeks. Elsa could see how she could barely contain the excitement. It was like watching a child get excited over the mere sight of candy.

The princess sucked in a breath, though she failed to hold back the tiny squeal escaped her wide open mouth.

“I’ll make sure they plan everything! I’ll have Kristoff make the path through town and I’ll ask Olaf if he wants to come along and—oh! Do you want to come too, Elsa? You can use your icy powers to give the sleigh an extra push!”

Elsa held out her hands, trying to calm her sister before she knocked anything over with the way her hands waved in wide, dangerous circles.

“As much as I would love to Anna, I can’t. I have to entertain our guests.”

Anna’s face fell, but regardless, she nodded.

“Oh, right. I forgot. Even during festivals you still have to _work_.”

Elsa almost sighed. It was unfortunate, and she wished she could join Anna in her escapades, but there were things that needed to be taken care of regardless.

_Speaking of children . . ._ she thought, and was reminded of a certain little boy. The memory of such an accident dampened her mood. With the way Anna was now looking at her with a light frown, she guessed that her sister already sensed that something was off.

“Anna, how is . . . how is Anders?”

Anna placed her hands at her sides and offered a small smile.

“He’s fine now, Elsa. Really, why do you keep asking me?”

“I’m just . . . I don’t know,” she finally admitted with a sigh, avoiding eye contact.

“Elsa . . .”

The queen bit her bottom lip, and the temperature in the room began to drop. That’s when she decided that it was time to retire for the night, even if she felt more restless than tired.

She quietly excused herself and left the library.

As expected, when she reached her private quarters, she couldn’t get a wink of sleep. Instead, she found herself pacing her room for hours.

Small icicles formed and began to hang from the ceiling, and frost accumulated along the surface of her windows.

She sat in silence with the bottle perched on her vanity, taunting her. The blue liquid encased inside swirled, in pace with the erratic beat of her heart.

Elsa gripped the arms of her chair until her knuckles turned white. The thought of swallowing the enchanted liquid crossed her mind more than once.

Ice crawled out from beneath her fingers and scattered along the floor in a spikey pattern, jutting out in every which way. Noticing that her powers were leaking out unchecked, Elsa let out a frustrated cry and dispersed it without a second thought.

Dangerous. Everything about her powers was dangerous. Despite how she knew Anna would disagree, Elsa had always felt that her powers were a burden rather than a gift.

Sometimes it was just too much. For months she had tried, and even with the help of her sister, Elsa knew that she could never shake such ill feelings.

She supposed thirteen years of habit would never truly disappear.

Forcing her eyes away from the offending bottle, Elsa rose to her feet and glided over to the window, taking more of an interest in the soft, pastel colors that painted the sky as the sun began to peek over the horizon. The mountains glowed as if brought from the heavens when streams of sunlight weaved between each vast structure. However, despite its astounding beauty, Elsa was sourly reminded of her isolation and how she would stare out from this exact window and dream of what could have been.

She _still_ dreamt of what could have been.

The queen lifted her chin and creased her brows downward. A deep frown was etched on her face before she parted her lips and echoed what she hadn’t dared to say aloud for thirteen years.

“If I wasn’t born with powers, how different would my life be?” Her words were no more than a hushed whisper. Elsa closed her eyes and sighed. “What would it be like to touch things, to touch _people_ without fear of hurting them?”

Anna would scoff at her if she heard. Just the thought of her younger sister brought a sad smile to her lips.

Anna was the one person who believed in her, even when Elsa couldn’t have faith in herself. There were days where she’d sink so low into darkness that she feared she wouldn’t be able to come out. But Anna was always there, taking her by the hand and pulling her out, no matter how painful it was for either of them.

Her younger sister was always there, no matter the circumstances. Elsa knew that Anna would even trek through a storm for her, no matter the dangers. Anna would risk her life—had risked her life countless times, more times than Elsa would want, because in the back of her mind despite the will she had to keep going, who would risk their life to keep a monster like her safe?

Elsa turned away from the triangular window and wrapped her arms around herself. Her eyes dropped to the floor when the memory of what had transpired the day before plunged upon her like a cold, unforgiving avalanche.

She remembered with dread the look of utter terror in Ander’s eyes. How he cradled his injured arm as an ear-shattering scream fell from his wide, open mouth. It had undoubtedly drawn attention to the surrounding crowd, and Elsa was glad she had fled when she did, for she wasn’t sure if she would have been able to stomach the looks her people would have given her.

She recalled how Anna came back to check on her. How her sister pleaded with her that it was _just an accident_. Elsa wanted to believe her, and she wished she could forgive herself for what she had done.

But she couldn’t. She wasn’t sure if she ever could.

Just how many more times could she harm anyone with her powers until Anna would stop insisting that it was an accident?

Elsa feared that it was no accident—she _knew_ it wasn’t an accident.

_Congratulations Queen, you are now a monster._

Elsa reeled backward, her lower-back bumping against the windowsill as her hands scrambled for purchase upon something solid to hold her balance. She felt her breath leave her lungs.

A cold chill crept up her spine, and despite how comfortable she usually felt in a cold room, this was different. The frigid air wasn’t produced by her own will.

Elsa exhaled and was surprised to see the manifestation of her own breath, as if she were a normal human out on a winter day. Her grip on the windowsill tightened until her knuckles turned white.

A short, sinister laugh echoed against her ear, causing the queen to spin on her heels with her hands fanned outward as if to fend off an intruder. Elsa waited with bated breath, but was only met with confusion when there was no one to be found by the window. Instead, she was met with soft beams of fractured light streaming through the translucent glass as the sun began to rise.

Heart pounding, Elsa took a step back. Frost cracked below her feet and spread along the ground behind her. Her fears began to manifest in the worst way possible and Elsa took another step back when sharp stalactites began to protrude from the windowsill, ripping through the neatly draped curtains and spreading outward as more began to conjure against her will. Smaller icicles, sharp like daggers, formed on opposite ends of the windowsill and clawed downward, spreading onto the ground and sprouting outward and back onto the walls.

“ _No_ ,” she whispered and gave a vigorous shake of her head. Elsa bit her bottom lip, tasting blood in her mouth as her eyes grew wide and the pounding of her heart grew more than she could even bare. “ _No_ ,” she choked again. Warm tears blurred her vision until the jagged icicles looked nothing more than distorted, angry droplets falling from the ceiling of her study.

_Yes, let it consume you._

The words felt cold against her ear, and low like a whisper. Elsa reached up with both her hands and dragged her fingers down the sides of her face and to her ears, as if to clawing at her own flesh would force the words away.

She squeezed her eyes shut and clamped her hands around her ears when another dark chuckle seemed to reverberate off the walls. She felt her joints lock up, and it took immense effort to take another step back, then another.

She could hear nothing but her inward screams, but when she opened her mouth nothing but a strangled, miserable cry managed to escape.

_Pathetic, weak little monster._

Elsa clenched her teeth, she felt as though her heart would burst out of her chest and her lungs were freezing from the inside out as a chill like none she’d ever felt before invaded her.

She didn’t remember when she’d opened her eyes, but what she saw made her blood freeze.

The ice in the room spread to the other side, attaching itself and crisscrossing against the door, barricading her in. It then spiked outward in a large unrecognizable pattern, but that wasn’t what made her fear intensify. It was the way the shards took on a darker color. They slowly began to curl inward on themselves as more ice crept upward in a slower fashion, smooth and thin, building upon the door like vines as tiny pieces of ice protruded from each dark stream of ice, reminding her of sharp thorns, the kind that would be found in a rose bush.

Elsa watched, her mouth open with terror when her ice changed from a dark blue to an angry black, the colors reminding her of a vicious bruise.

A shadow emerged from the corner of her eye, but when her head snapped to the left, she found nothing but black ice crawling down from the ceiling a nearby corner.

Was this what she had really become? A monster in her truest form?

Her hands shook, and her eyes glanced downward. The idea of shoving on her gloves crossed her mind just as quickly as she pushed the dreadful idea back again.

No, she’d promised Anna and she _never_ broke her promises.

Despite this, she’d found that her control slipped, just like it had three months ago when she unintentionally buried her own kingdom under nearly twenty feet of snow.

She was reliving a nightmare.

The ice cracked, and the black ice that coated her door split in two only to sprout an angry line of spikes down its jagged path.

Elsa swerved on her heels and she tripped when her feet had caught the bottom of her dress. She threw her arms out for balance, but found herself stumbling to the floor instead when she failed to regain stable footing.

Frost crept out from beneath her finger tips and she laid still for a few moments, attempting to catch her breath and steady her racing heart.

It wasn’t until when the loss of the adrenaline made her feel drained and limp did she remember that she had the potion. She had avoided it all day, trying to decide if it was what she wanted, but now as she laid on the cold hard ground of her quarters as voices tormented her, Elsa wanted nothing more than to rid herself of the curse that had taken over her life. It didn’t matter how long she’d fought for control. It didn’t matter that she was still healing, _trying_ to heal. After so many years of reaching out only to come up short, she was done fighting.

Elsa inhaled and pushed herself up into a kneeling position. Then, with both her hands on the frost-covered, navy blue carpet below her, she moved to stand. Her legs shook with the effort and her arms shot forward so she could grasp the edge of her vanity for support.

The queen lifted her eyes, locking on the glass bottle that sat, unperturbed on the white wooden surface of her vanity. The blue liquid seemed to pulse in a mesmerizing rhythm, as if calling to her.

Elsa hunched over the edge, her knuckles turning white from the pressure of her grip. Another burst of frost spread out from beneath her fingertips and wrapped around the edge of the wood, making its way to the mirror. It slowly coated the glass, and when she looked up, Elsa could barely make out her own distorted face.

She shut her eyes and forced herself to look away.

Her right hand groped for the bottle, and she almost breathed a sigh of relief when her fingers closed around the strangely cold container.

Her legs felt like jell, but she was able to stand without fear of falling.

Her left hand shook so hard that she could barely grasp the cork between her thumb and index finger, but with an extra pull, despite how lightheaded and weak she felt, the queen managed to yank it open.

The liquid glowed and seemed to pulse brighter.

Throwing all caution and any second thoughts she had out the window, Elsa brought it to her lips and swallowed.

A foreign chill raced through her when she finished and she took a gasping breath, fighting for air.

The room seemed to flip on its side and the glass bottle fell from her hands, shattering the ice below into tiny pieces upon contact with the ground.

An ache like none she had ever felt before pounded at her head like a hammer would a nail and she grasped the sides of her face with shaking hands. The room began to spin and everything was blurred.

A low grunt fell from her slacked jaw and she arched upward from the brunt of the force she felt when her back hit the ground.

For the first time in her life, she felt unbearably _cold_.

Then everything slowed down, and her blurred world turned dark.

* * *

 A light knock sounded on her door, and the only response she managed to give was a rough grunt and a spastic turn of her body as she rolled from her back and onto her stomach, burying her head under her pillow.

The second round of knocking became more insistent, causing the princess to furrow her brows and, with a low groan, she shot her right hand in the air as if to swat a fly.

“Your highness? Are you awake?”

Her movements were slow, but she managed to lift herself into a sitting position with the comforter of her bed sliding off her shoulders and pooling into her lap as she brought the palms of her hands up to her face and attempted to rub the sleep from her eyes.

“Y-Yeah?” Anna answered, her mouth stretched and she gave a deep yawn.

"Sorry to wake you, but the queen—your sister, she isn’t responding.”

It took her a moment to process what had been said being that her mind was still lethargic.

“Your highness?”

She blinked the bleariness from her eyes and hung her legs over the side of her bed when the words that were said just a moment ago dropped on her like a rock. She felt its weight tenfold and scrambled to stand.

“My sister?”

Anna unsuccessfully twisted out of her sheets as she made her way to the door with haste, dragging the blankets with her.

When she thrust the door open, she didn’t waste time as Gerda reeled back, startled with the princess’s sudden urgency.

“What’s wrong with Elsa?”

Gerda’s eyes were wide as saucers, but instead of wasting time in explaining the situation, she gestured for Anna to follow her down to the queen’s private quarters.

Anna peeled the sheets that had managed to wrap themselves around her ankles off and carelessly tossed them to the floor as she made to follow.

“We’ve been knocking, but she’s not responding.”

Anna stared up at the large, pristine double doors. A wave of nostalgia almost pushed her back, but instead she sucked in a breath and raised her knuckles.

“Elsa? It’s me, Anna.”

She knocked.

There was no response.

The princess felt her heart begin to race and she glanced at Gerda who had a tight frown set on her lips, Anna fought to keep herself from mirroring the woman’s expression.

She knocked again.

“Elsa?”

_Do you wanna build a snowman?_

This time, a low groan sounded from inside, causing Anna to jump and reach for the handle.

“I’m coming in!”

She turned the handle and once the door was open ajar, she peeked in.

“Elsa?”

With a jerk of her shoulder, Anna pushed the door open with just enough space for her to walk through.

An odd chill raced through her veins as she cautiously made her way into the room. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary, and the princess assumed the absence of ice was a good sign.

The only thing that looked out of place was the fact that her sister was laying on the floor rather than in her bed. Though the sheets looked disheveled, Anna highly doubted that Elsa managed to fall out of the bed in her sleep.

When she noticed Elsa attempting to sit up, Anna rushed over to help her. A deep frown had set upon her face when she reached forward to grasp her sister’s hand only to find it oddly warm.

“Woah,” she muttered in astonishment and almost pulled her hand back. The queen was many things and it was normal for her sister to feel cold to the touch, but warm? A strangle feeling that told her something wasn’t right settled in her stomach.

“Elsa, are you okay?”

Anna watched with wide eyes, cradling both her sister’s hands in her own.

Elsa blinked and squinted her eyes as if trying to decipher what was in front of her. Anna only held on tighter and held her breath as she waited for a response. Anything to know that her sister was alright.

“Anna?” Elsa’s eyes widened a fraction and Anna could see realization reflected in her blue eyes. The queen sat up straighter, propping herself against the bed post behind her and ran a hand through her disheveled braid.

“Gerda said you weren’t answering her calls so she went to get me, I was worried. . .”

Elsa released a sigh and Anna watched as her gaze averted downward to their clasped hands. The queen’s brows furrowed and she pulled her hands to herself, studying them as though they were foreign to her.

Anna watched, curious though confused at her sister’s actions before something glinted in the corner of her eye. She turned her head to inspect the small object—a tiny glass bottle that couldn’t be any larger than her palm.

She picked it up, curling her fingers around it carefully when she felt how delicate it was.

“What’s this?” she asked and looked at her sister expectantly. Elsa’s eyes grew wide and Anna detected the fright an instant before it was gone and her sister’s face was set like stone.

“Just an empty perfume bottle,” she finally said, though her hesitancy made Anna skeptical.

“. . . Okaaay, do you need help standing up?”

Elsa’s eyes locked with her own and the queen just gave a shake of her head.

“No,” she sighed and a small smile bloomed along her face when she fixed Anna with a grateful look, “thank you.”

Anna wasn’t sure if her eyes were playing tricks on her or if it was just a side effect of still feeling groggy from sleep, but her sister looked more relieved, happy even. More relaxed than she’d seen her in a long time.

Anna smiled at her and pushed herself onto her feet then held out her hand for Elsa to grasp and do the same.

“Sooo . . .” Anna placed the bottle on the vanity to her right and then took both of Elsa’s hands in her own after her sister took a moment to fix her braid. “You’re off today right? I mean you told me you would be the other day and I was hoping we could spend time together. . .” Anna found herself biting her lower lip and she began to fiddle with her hands, as a wave of uncertainty washed over her.

Elsa blinked in her direction, then gave a smile of her own, deflating Anna’s nervousness.

“I’d love to.”

“Your Majesty?”

Both sisters turned their heads to find Gerda lingering in the doorway. The woman’s expression slackened with relief when she noticed the queen standing. “Thank goodness you’re alright. I apologize for my intrusion but a man is requesting for your audience in the throne room.”

Anna frowned and at the corner of her eye she noticed Elsa give her an apologetic look.

“Tell him I’ll be with him in ten minutes.”

Gerda gave a short bow of her head, “As you wish, I’ll let him know.”

When Gerda shut the door behind her, Anna let out a loud groan.

“And I thought I would have you all to myself today!”

This prompted a low chuckled out of Elsa as she began to change.

“The duties of a Queen are never-ending, sister,” she answered when Anna moved forward to help her tie the back of her pale blue bodice.

Anna just gave a childish pout before she declared how she would _have_ to accompany her to the throne room—no excuses.

Elsa just rolled her eyes.

By the time she got herself ready, Elsa found that Kai was already standing outside her quarters. Upon seeing her, he gave a deep bow and the queen nodded to him in greeting.

“Morning Kai.”

He gave her a small smile, “Morning, I trust you slept well your Majesty?”

Folding her hands in front of herself with Anna standing to her right, Elsa agreed.

Then a short silence fell between them and Kai took this opportunity to escort them to the throne room.

Elsa waited before the doors and squared her shoulders when he announced her.

She strode into the room with purpose, but at the corner of her eye she noticed Anna stumbling to match her movements.

When she finally stood up on the dais, she leaned her head to the right and gave a soft jerk of her arm, hitting Anna in the side as she mumbled under her breath, “Just breathe, shoulders back and steady,” she advised and Anna shot her a look of surprise before she adjusted her posture.

“Your Majesty, I present to you—“

“Prince Cale of Romelle, your Majesty.”

The man lifted a hand in Kai’s direction, shooting him a small smile as he made his way to the dais and gave a deep bow.

His dark, almost black, bangs fell over his eyes as he settled on one knee, contrasting with his olive skin.

Elsa glanced at Kai with confusion etched on her face, but he looked just as lost as her.

“Arendelle welcomes you, Prince Cale.” Elsa shifted on her feet, moving to the edge of the dais as she studied him, her eyebrows creased downward. “But if I may ask,” she started, her arms remained straight, yet her fingers curled into her dress when he didn’t move from his position, “what brings you here?”

It was then that he lifted his head and locked his eyes with her own.

“My apologies for coming unannounced my Queen, but. . .” he trailed off and straightened into a standing position. His brown eyes flickered for a moment between Anna and Elsa before he cleared his throat. He then took her left hand in his own and with a hesitant smile, he gave a slight bow of his head.

Elsa raised a brow, yet couldn’t force the flush that adorned her cheeks back when he laid a chaste kiss upon her knuckles. His hand was uncomfortably warm.

“I have something I would rather discuss in private, your Grace.”

Elsa steeled herself and gently pulled her hand from his grip.

“Very well.”


End file.
